


Always a Reason for Hope

by Mql1



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Falling In Love, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self-Indulgent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 00:05:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9046517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mql1/pseuds/Mql1
Summary: "But what about your wife, didn't you love her?" MacCready asked as he leaned into the fire, watching his boss from the over side as his emerald eyes stared into the flames which reflected their twirling dance into them."I did- I do. But there's many times of love out there. Nora, she was...how do I put it...My beard?" His boss answered vaguely, clearly the words didn't sound right even to him as they seemed almost sour in his mouth."A beard?" MacCready might not be the smartest person in the world, but even he knew that sounded wrong, a woman couldn't be a man's beard...right?This is just a fic for myself really, just about how my SS falls in love with Mac and his backstory. I'm posting this just in case anyone would want to read it.Probably pretty out of character and might not even be finished.No beta reader, please be kind if you comment because this isn't meant to be perfect.





	1. Prologue

When Clement first woke up there was two thoughts on his mind. Shaun, and his wife. It was a panic that arose in him instantaneously as the chamber’s door lifted up, his body growing stiff as he tried to climb out only to topple out onto the cold wet floor. Coughing and sputtering as he tried to crawl his way over towards his wife's pod, grabbing onto the switch panel next to her pod as he lifted himself. Thumbling hands pulled down the red switch as he continuously cried out. It felt like hours in the creaking metal hole until he was able to get the pod open, get to his feet, as hot tears ran like rivers as he took her frozen hand. The last thing Clement remembers of that vault was his fingers slipping off his wife’s ring and making the vow to find Shaun.

* * *

 

It has been almost a month since that horrible awakening. Clement couldn’t believe what he saw, he could, but he just refused to believe it. When his legs kept walking, walking all the way back down to his home, it felt like the ghost were passing him by. He swore he could still hear the yelling of those running to a vault that wouldn’t let them in. It almost made him laugh thinking that those who made it in didn’t even survive. The first time he saw Codsworth he cried, the poor butler didn’t know what to do, he just floated off to grab an old can of beans and water for his master and waited until he was able to speak.

From there a million things happened, he ran into people in need, found a dog, met a crazy enthusiastic journalist, then some odd robotic detective. To call him a man out of time was an understatement, but somehow...somehow it was…

“Blue?” Pipers voice cut through his thoughts making him blink as he slowly lifted his head up to look at the reporter. Nick sat next to him on the couch as quite support as Clement looked to the woman in the red coat. “It’s okay if you want to take a minute. I know this is a hard topic for you.”

“No...no it’s okay.” It almost seemed shocking to the two beside him as to how calm his voice was, like he was still in some trance. “W-where were we?” His brows creased and he blinked a few time, his emerald eyes shifted away towards the metal door, thinking heavily on what had been said.

“Your time in the vault.” She prompted gently as her pencil tapped on the side of her notepad.

“Right…” He sighed closing his eyes. “I can’t really say much about it, we were all...frozen? I mean that’s the only way to explain it. I only remember how we barely made it in, me, my wife and Shaun. The bombs went off right as the vault lowered us in.”

“Bombs? Frozen?” Piper repeated with a brow raised. “Wait, you saw the bombs fall?” Her voice was that of pure astonishment as her pencil froze over her pad. Even Nick seemed sceptical of the words which come from his companion.

“Yes.” Clements voice was firm with resolve as he locked eyes with Piper. “I think Codsworth said I was 210 years ate for dinner.”

“Well I’ll be,” Nick gave a breathy laugh as he shook his head.

“Wow,” Piper was at a loss. “This whole thing must be terrifying for you, the world isn’t like it used to be.”

“Yeah that’s for sure.”

“And you’re looking for your son out here?”

“Yeah….”

“Well..” Piper moved around on her feet shifting about as she searched for the right words, It must be a very rare time for this journalist to be able to be at a loss of words.

“It’s not all that bad.” Clement cut the silence with a faint smile, the two companions looked to him with surprise. “There was bad things back then, there’s bad things now. People disappeared then and now. But seeing people today, still surviving somehow out here after everything. It gives me hope, and hope isn’t something that should be taken lightly. Gives me hope that I’ll see my son again, or at least gain closer. And that should be something for those who have lost like I have as well.”

Nick slowly rose from the couch, patting Clements shoulder as he slowly headed off towards the metal door. “Those are some wise words old man.”

Clement chortled slightly as he rose up after him. “I’m don’t feel that old.”

Piper watched the two men leave with a smile as she pressed her pad to her chest. She didn’t dare ask for any more, she had more than enough. Even a heavy, yet inspirational closer to wrap up what she knows will be a trying story.

“Nat, warm up the press, we have a story to write.” She called as she ran up the stairs to head to her terminal.


	2. Chapter 2

MacCready could hear them coming from a mile away, hell even a deaf person could by the way Barnes yelled at Whitechaple demanding to know where he was. Course the robot didn’t do him any favors by saying he wasn’t in, he had a huge tab piling up anyways, even MacCready couldn’t fault him for that. Still it would have been nice if Whitechaple kept them talking for a bit longer. He didn’t have much time to compose himself, will on some smart ass smirk as he leaned back in the word velvet of the chair. Making himself seem at ease, cocky even, as he spread his legs open wide. He never quite got it himself but he always remembered seeing people in comics do it, it always seemed intimidating seeing someone so at home in an uneasy situation.

“Can’t say I’m surprised to find you in a dump like this, MacCready.” Winlock started smug as ever, it almost made MacCready want to snap at the man. Whitechaple did his best to keep this dump as nice as it is, no pompous jerk like Winlock had any right calling it a dump.

But instead of some snapping remark he chose to act cocky, a brow raising as he sat up a bit straighter. His words almost wondered as he saw another shadow in the doorway.  _ Crap,  _ he thought bitterly,  _ they brought back up.  _ Maybe he should play it more carefully. 

“It’s not like that,” Winlock assured in such an unassuring way. Honestly this guy has no class when it comes to doing things. “I’m just here to deliver a message.”

His composer snapped, he knew it as soon as he stood looking between the two men before him and the shadow in the doorway. “Just a message? Really, then why did you bring two girls to the party.” He wanted to hit himself for snapping, he always was bad at that.

“Hey!” Barnes barked.

“Girls?” The shadow said, which caught both men before him by surprise, turning around to look towards it as if even they didn’t know it had been there. “That’s a pretty poor insult you know. I mean I’ve heard children say better. And even then in this day and age- well- I’ve seen  _ girls _ who are more terrifying than these two here.” The voice was a smooth tenor, a faint accent lingering on it from somewhere long gone, it could have been mesmerizing if not belonging to some new variable that MacCready had to now account for.

“Who the hell are you.” Barnes snapped his hand starting to hover near the gun on his side.

“Well I’m certainly not the one you’re delivering a message to.” The man chuckled as he stepped through the threshold into the red luminescence. His charming voice clearly went with his looks. A thin smirk, a sharp slightly curved nose with a ghastly scar spanning across its bridge almost to midway on both cheeks however a bit farther on the right side, as well sharp vivid green eyes that seemed to see through everything he looked at. Black hair that was long and falling from the lazily done bun, the few stray pieces of hair framing his sharp angular face. Overall a strong looking man who was dressed in a blue vault suit.

“Are you going to hire this fool.” Winlock asked curtly as he nodded back to MacCready.

“My business is my own.” The man answered simply, MacCready almost wanted to smile at this man’s sarcastic attitude towards these Gunners.

“You’ll find more reliable guns for hire with us.” Winlock was still trying to push away his customers.

“I never said I was hiring anyone. Really.” The man scoffed crossing his arms over his broad chest. “I was just coming to see what all the commotion was anyways.” He paused, “and I’m also here to make sure a fight doesn’t break out. That flower up on the stage there doesn’t need her song ruined because of some thugs fighting over some caps.”

Winlock snarled at the man but MacCready butted in saying, “The man has a point.”

This just made the two Gunners look back to MacCready. “This is a warning.” Winlock growled, “Get out of our territory or else the next time we come it’ll be for blood. Come on Barnes.”

The Gunners left just like that, Barnes snarling the look in his eyes made it clear that he hoped that MacCready stayed so he could come back for his head. Barnes even barreled through the vault suit wearing stranger who seemed unimpressed as the thug stomped off after the clearly smarter partner. Silence hung in the air uneasily as the two of them now looked towards the doorway. With a breath MacCready slowly sat back down, his eyes moving towards the taller male in question.

“I didn’t need your help.” MacCready said with a huff as the man turned his attention back towards him.

“Never said you did.” The man smiled, but this time it didn’t seem like he was making fun of him like when he had spoken to Barnes and Winlock.

“Then why did you step in?”

“You made me step in.” The man laughed faintly in such a airy way as he came farther in the room so that he wasn’t talking to him from across the room. “What was I to do then, just keep standing there?”

“You could have walked away.” The sarcasm was rolling off MacCready now as he leaned back to look up at the man in blue.

“I’ve never been good at that I’m afraid.” The man sighed, something in the way he looked away for a second made it seem like the man was in another world for a second before he snapped back into reality from MacCready’s next question.

“So what, are you gonna hire me?”

The man laughed again and shrugged. “Are you sure you want to be hired by me? I mean I did just come into a room unannounced only to piss some men off.”

“Caps are the same no matter who they come from.”

“Hm.” The man looked at him appraisingly. “What’s your price?”

“250 caps.”

“Can’t go any lower?” The man asked half heartedly as he already went searching for his caps.

“I don’t think it’d be wise if I did.” MacCready smiled as he held out his hand, the man placing a pouch full of caps in his open palm. “Heh. Well then boss, I’m MacCready.” With that he stood up as he stashed away the money.

“Clement.” The man answered back as he turned away. “Let’s get going then Mac.”

“MacCready.” He corrected.

“Sure thing Mac.” He swore he could see a smug smile tug on those thin lips as he new boss lead their way out of The Third Rail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First meetings ooo~ How fun. Also I'm just mass writing some there might be a few updates tonight, who knows.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter before I go to bed, hope you enjoy it so far.  
> If not then, well sorry :(

Two weeks, that’s how long MacCready has been following the crazy vault dweller from vault 111. He only has one word to describe this man, and that word is a simple one at that. “Bipolar…” He sighed through parted lips as he pressed the butt of his rifle firmly into his shoulder as he looked through his scope.

A simple word but it was easily one that added many layers to his boss. Clement seemed like a great man, very moral and would do anything and everything to help someone. Yet it was times like this as he stood up on a lone ridge following his boss through his rifle’s scope, he knew for a fact that those godly morals only shown for those who truly needed it. The job they were running now was shady, some Triggerman was looking for them to get back something stolen from them. Clement stood there when listening to the job, looking at the Triggerman’s gun as he boredly asked for more caps. He pressed and he pressed till the man seemed ready to pull his gun on them, settling on 400 caps for this job. It always made MacCready wonder how he got paid what he did when he has seen repeatedly his boss being able to get more money without breaking a sweat.

A shot rang out, shaking MacCready from his thoughts, jumping slightly as he raised his head from the scope to see that all hell has broke loose. “Oh let’s be stealth he said, stealth my as-..” He huffed out of irritation as he put his eye back to the scope, searching for his boss again. Clement was in the middle of a group of raiders, his shotgun on the ground- probably ran out of ammo again, and hands raised in the air. “What in the world has he gotten into.” 

He started to chew his lip as he tried to see what was happening. It seemed like Clement was talking to the raiders by the way his shoulder where moving rather animatedly and his hands waving about vaguely. 

MacCready knew that he could talk his way out of it, he’s heard him do it before one night when they camped and some raiders found them. That night MacCready cursed himself a million times over for letting those thugs sneak up on them in the abandoned home, he was about ready to grab his rifle near his bag to shoot them. But that was when Clement locked eyes with him, somehow MacCready knew by the look in his eyes from the flickering embers of their fire that he shouldn’t shoot. From there Clement spun some tale about them being Children of Atom and the raiders hung off his every word about how Atom could save their human souls. The whole thing was so ridiculous and yet the raiders believed every world the man said. You ask him MacCready will say it’s his boss’s voice. Something about it seemed so believable no matter what he said, as long as he really tried.

Which is why that he’s having a hard time pulling the trigger on the raiders, because he knows Clement could talk his way out of it. But that’s when it happened, a simple thing alone. Clement flipped him off. It took a moment to register that the pale callused hand raised in the air, all fingers but the middle on pulled back halfway into his palm. Sure it wasn’t pointed at MacCready, but it was just like that night with his eyes, he knew it was for him.

“That rat bas- er!” His temper hit near top easily as he moved his rifle, shifting his aim away from his boss and onto the head of one raider that was looking toward Clement curled hand in confusion. “I’ll show you to flip me off.” With a breath he squeezed the trigger and waited only a second for the bullet to sail through the air towards the unknowing raiders head. It was a direct hit and the new corpse fell to the ground. 

All eyes were on the fallen companion, giving Clement a chance to pull out a knife. “You’re kidding me!” MacCready wanted to scream as he reloaded his rifle, the brass casing clattering against the rock under him as he moved to take aim again. Keeping hyper aware of his boss who now was fighting with a knife in a mostly gun fight.

“I should have made him pay double.” He growled as he took out one raider that came to unnervingly close to Clement.

* * *

 

“I can’t believe you.” MacCready’s first words towards his boss as he came walking down the ridge to the now empty raider camp, his boss smiling like some kind of saint who chuckled heartily at his employees annoyance.

“I have no clue what you’re on about!” Clement announced with a skip in his step. 

“I told you to get more ammo at the last caravan we saw.”

“And I did!”

“Then why was your shotgun on the ground!” MacCready was getting to his wits end with his boss here. 

“I dropped it.” It was the way his boss said it that bugged him the most, the way he shrugged his shoulders and turned to go search the bodies. “Help me find the note.”

“You dropped it.”

“I did say that.”

MacCready took a deep breath, giving a silent prayer to whatever god was listening that he wouldn’t shoot this man. “I can’t believe you.”

They stayed quiet for a long time as they searched the camp for the note the Triggerman was wanting. MacCready could guess that Clement was sensing his irritation with him because he didn’t even make a big deal when he found the note. Just simply whistled and nodded for him to follow. It was a blessing really, it gave Macready time to collect his thoughts on what just happened.

Turns out the silence lasted till they got back to the Triggerman, passing the note over with very little talk besides what was needed. Clement seemed in his own world again, his eyes doing that weird glazed over thing when he was thinking too hard on something. Part of MacCready hated to admit that he’s noticed this odd habit of his boss’s, but ever since he’s been on the road with him he’s found a need to try and figure out the mystery that is this vault dweller. The few times they’ve stopped in Diamond City for supplies he’s caught a few things here and there from conversations he’s listened on in with Nick and Piper.

They were always hushed talks those three had, but he’s caught a few things from them. Like how Clement is from before the war, that he’s looking for his kid, and lost his wife. But even then this didn’t seem like new information, seeing as he could just pick up The Daily Occurrence to read all about the dwellers story. A story which outlined all these point already. If those thing are all true, then MacCready couldn’t blame these times when Clement spaces out. It must be really hard for the man.

“So,” MacCready knew he’d regret this as he broke the silence in hopes to bring Clement back into the present as they wandered some dusty trail away from the bridge they met the Triggerman at. “Were you flipping me off back there?”

Clement blinked a few times before he looked over to MacCready, his mind lagging slightly until he seemed to process what was asked of him. “So you did see that!” A smile spanned over those thin lips, something bright and childish as his teeth showed slightly.

“Of course I did.” He rolled his eyes looking away from that childish smile. “How could I not see it.”

“And you hit the guy that was looking at it too!”

“Yeah, I remember. I did it.”

Clement laughed shaking his head. “Sorry- sorry, I know.” He seemed so tickled with himself as if that was the best joke made in a long time. “I didn’t know what else to do to get you shooting, so I just-” He shrugged animatedly and raised the same offending hand again to show what he did before, laughing at it before it went back to his side. Clement paused in talking for a moment as he watched MacCready who rolled his eyes again as he smiled besides himself. “Heh…” He sighed as he looked away again, watching a crow that flew off a rock in the path before them. “Why didn’t you start shooting before that?” He asked softly as his eyes followed the flying crow.

“I knew you could talk your way out of it.” MacCready sighed and he shifted his shoulders, hands moving some as he shifts the weight of his rifle around.

“....” Clement just nodded to this before he spoke again, voice oddly soft again. “Next time don’t wait.”

“What?” MacCready was taken off guard by this as he stopped in his tracks turning towards his boss who slowed, stopping a bit ahead of him with his back still turned.

“Sometimes I can’t always talk my way out.” The fact that he admitted this made MacCready curios, not to mention the way his voice was quite unlike his normally lively attitude. “Anyways, I doubt you’d want me to use  _ that  _ as a signal every time I need your support right?” Just like that he was back, turning to MacCready with a smug smile and lilting accented voice. “Come on Mac.” He said shortly after with a wave of his hand as he turned to lead the way again.

He stood in shock for a while before he shook his head, “Bipolar,” he muttered as he hurried after his boss, putting his rifle over his shoulder.

“What was that,” Clement called back.

“I said it’s MacCready,” he yelled in response.

“Sure is.”

**Author's Note:**

> Whelp here we go. Hope you're interested.


End file.
